Want More Proof About Yoga’s Power? Study Proves It Alleviates Depression And ADHD.

The ridiculous California parents who want yoga banned from their children’s school may want to take note of this: A new study has confirmed yoga’s ability to improve mental health and help heal depression and ADHD.

According to researchers from Duke University who analyzed 124 studies on the benefits of yoga, they found conclusive evidence of what many yogis have known all along: Yoga can aid in our mental health. Specifically, they found it can help alleviate depression, ADHD, sleep problems and even schizophrenia (along with drug therapy).

Their findings were published in the journal Frontiers and concluded that, while there is more research to be done, yoga is a promising tool for our mental health:

There is emerging evidence from randomized trials to support popular beliefs about yoga for depression, sleep disorders, and as an augmentation therapy. Limitations of literature include inability to do double-blind studies, multiplicity of comparisons within small studies and lack of replication. Biomarker and neuroimaging studies, those comparing yoga with standard pharmaco- and psychotherapies, and studies of long-term efficacy are needed to fully translate the promise of yoga for enhancing mental health.

Of course, these benefits could apply to anyone–children included. So to the closed-minded California parents who want yoga removed from schools because it somehow teaches Hinduism: Are you listening? Because, you know, kids suffer from mental health conditions too. In fact, the CDC estimates that 10% of children today have ADHD. And up to 1 out of every 8 teens may have depression. So if we can alleviate some of that with yoga instead of medication, why wouldn’t we?